Topline
The 55 European member associations within UEFA, the European governing body for soccer, voted unanimously to boycott FIFA after an emergency meeting on Thursday, preparing to take a drastic action if it moves forward with plans to sell minority stakes in its World Cup tournament.
The 55 member associations in UEFA approved the boycott unanimously on Thursday.
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Key Facts
In a statement released on Thursday, UEFA said that no teams from its 55 member associations would not participate in any FIFA tournament “so long as these proposals remain alive,” which would include the World Cups for men and women’s teams, as well as the Club World Cup.
The European confederation said it would continue to boycott “unless this proposal is abandoned in its entirety,” and it was given “binding assurances” the international body would not pursue private ownership again.
The plan to sell roughly 20% in stakes of a new commercial venture controlled by FIFA is being pushed by FIFA president Gianni Infantino, the organization’s president who has faced criticism for perceived closeness to President Donald Trump.
FIFA said it is being advised on the plan by JPMorgan, and a fund created by Josh Kushner’s Thrive Capital would serve as the lead investor (Josh Kushner’s brother Jared is married to Trump’s daughter, Ivanka).
This is a breaking story and will be updated.
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